Hamas begins brutal crackdown on Gaza protests with torture, executions

[JI7]

Hamas has begun cracking down on Gazans who participated in recent protests against the group’s rule, executing six people and publicly beating others, according to Palestinian activists and residents.



Hamas begins brutal crackdown on Gaza protests with torture, executionsResidents in the enclave say terror group executed at least six organizers; Gaza City resident returned to his family after four hours of torture and died shortly afterward, while others reported missing



Hamas has begun cracking down on Gazans who participated in recent protests against the group’s rule, executing six people and publicly beating others, according to Palestinian activists and residents.

Among those killed was Odai al-Rubai, 22, a resident of Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood. Al-Rubai had called for public demonstrations and spoken out against Hamas on social media. He was abducted by Hamas operatives, tortured for four hours, and then returned to his family as he lay dying, witnesses said.


Hamza al-Masri, a Gaza-based social activist who lost an eye after being tortured by Hamas in the past, said the crackdown was part of a broader effort to silence dissent.

“Just for asking to live, a Hamas military unit kidnapped several young men, including helpless Odai,” al-Masri wrote on social media. “Hours after he was taken, he was returned to his family without life.”

He accused Hamas of maintaining tight control over local media, preventing journalists from reporting on abuses. “There isn’t a single journalist in Gaza who can speak about the crimes being committed here,” he said. “The world has no idea what’s happening.”

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjl5xnua1x

[NickB79]

1. I'm sure there are protests against this, right?

Right?

[yardwork]

2. Nice people.

But we already knew that.

[NickB79]

5. Freedom fighters, some would say

Future Nelson Mandela's, even.

[Nictuku]

3. Makes me ashamed to be in the human race

[Beastly Boy]

4. Does the Hamas health ministry keep track of these casualties?

[EX500rider]

6. Sure and you can bet to who's total they get added....

[tritsofme]

7. To be pellucidly clear, I'm not surprised this thread dropped like a rock.

Doesn’t reflect well on those who have heaped praise on these latter day Nelson Mandelas.

[Polybius]

9. I see what you did there

And you are 100% correct. That poster's silence is deafening.

[Polybius]

8. They need to be ousted

With all of their leaders getting neutralized, how is Hamas still in power?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

10. Well, waiting for Israel to be blamed for this.

[yardwork]

11. Kick

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Did you see: Think every Palestinian in Gaza is Hamas? This week's protests prove you're wrong

What began as a set of small, organic anti-Hamas and anti-war demonstrations in Gaza’s northern town of Beit Lahia earlier this week has quickly erupted into a widespread and decentralized protest movement against Hamas and its continued rule over the 2 million Palestinians in the battered strip.

These protests, unprecedented in the 18 years in which Hamas has controlled the strip, confirm what I and numerous other Palestinians have said for a long time: The majority of Palestinians in Gaza loathe the terror group, and want to see an end to its dictatorial rule over the strip. Unfortunately, and for the longest time, it has been both easy and fashionable to dehumanize the people of Gaza and paint them all as supporters of Hamas and endorsers of its Jihadi “resistance agenda.”

The truth is: Gaza under Hamas is neither free nor democratic, and people have no real opportunity to express their views openly. That they are choosing to do so now, during a war that has unleashed one of the most destructive chapters in Palestinian history, amid harsh threats by Hamas and other Gaza-based terror groups against anyone who participates in the protests, is a marvel.

---

But in order for this to work, the supposed “pro-Palestine movement,” which includes a whole host of academics, human rights NGOs, protesters, journalists and social media influencers, must speak up in support of the brave people in Gaza taking to the streets to make their voices heard. Too many have so far been suspiciously silent; some have even dared to suggest that the protests are an Israeli manipulation campaign to defeat their beloved “resistors.” This is unacceptable. Supporting Palestinian people means supporting them as they make autonomous decisions about the kind of future they want — one that very obviously does not include Hamas.

On the pro-Israel side, some extremists have also questioned the legitimacy of these protests, suggesting they have been staged by Hamas. To them, the timing is suspicious, as is the fact that Hamas has yet to actively, violently suppress the demonstrations. These voices will never accept that the Palestinians are nuanced people who possess divergent and diverse points of view that don’t entail perpetual war in jihad — yes, even if those people have reasonable grievances with Israeli policies and actions.

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